Today | News | Books | Recipes Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History BookNo. 1218, 3rd Battn. (Royal Fusiliers) The London Regt. (T.F.), eldest _s._ of the late Edwin James Williams, by his wife, Ellen, dau. of James Roberts; _b._ Plymouth, 24 Oct. 1889; educ. there; joined the 3rd London Regt. in July, 1912; volunteered for foreign service on the outbreak of war in Aug. 1914; went to Malta in Sept.; was sent to France in Jan. 1915, and was killed in action at the Battle of Neuve Chapelle, 10 March, 1915, being shot through the head in an attack on the German trenches; _unm._ =WILLIAMS, WILLIAM HENRY=, Stoker, 1st Class (R.F.R., B. 4468), S.S. 103409, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914. =ADDAMS-WILLIAMS, DONALD ARTHUR=, 2nd Lieut., 4th Battn. (Service) South Wales Borderers, only _s._ of the Rev. Herbert Addams-Williams, Rector of Llangibby, co. Monmouth, by his wife, Grace, dau. of Thomas Royse Lysaght; _b._ Llangibby Rectory, 28 April, 1896; educ. Winton House, Winchester, and Marlborough College, where he was in the O.T.C., and joined the Public Schools Battn. immediately on the outbreak of war in Aug. 1914. He was gazetted 2nd Lieut. to the South Wales Borderers, 18 Nov. 1914; went to the Dardanelles 29 June, and was killed in action there, 11 Aug. 1915, after the advance from Anzac. Capt. A. W. Hooper wrote: "I am the only officer left out of the five who came out with the coy., and was in hospital wounded when Arthur was killed; hence I am somewhat handicapped, but I have spoken to Arthur's platoon sergt. several times about the sad incident, and he has given me several little details about it. A covering party was sent forward to clear the enemy away from some wells from whence they had been sniping our troops for three or four days. This party was also to act as a screen to keep the enemy from advancing, or firing, while the remainder of our battn. went forward and dug themselves in, in an advanced position. Arthur, with his platoon, commanded a portion of this covering party, more of the enemy were found near the wells than was anticipated, and our covering party lost rather heavily. However, they nobly did their work, and kept the enemy back while the new trenches were being dug. Arthur was absolutely fearless, and always very cheerful in the trenches. He took his men forward, and had not advanced far before he was hit; he went on and presently was hit a second time, but where each of the first two shots struck him his sergt. did not know. However, being twice wounded, he continued to command his platoon, encouraging all of the men, and showing them a noble example by his own heroism, and disregard of self. A little time afterwards, while still advancing, he was wounded a third time. He turned completely round, and must have died within a few seconds. His sergt. knelt by him as he died, and has told me since that his death was a grand one to see. The sergt. had to leave him, to take charge of the platoon, and when the covering party retired his body was not seen. Several times Sergt. Worthington, his platoon sergt., volunteered to go forward and look for it, but the Turks were now holding that ground in very strong numbers, and it would have meant a further sacrifice of life to send a search party out; therefore his body, and those of two other officers who died the same evening, was never recovered. His death meant a great loss to his men, who thought so highly of him, to the whole coy., and also to myself, who found him an ever-cheerfull and lovable friend." Nearly three months afterwards, during a reconnaisance, Lieut. Curtis, of the Northamptonshire Regt., discovered his body, and had it brought back to South Wales Borderers Valley, where it was buried in the little Military Cemetery on 3 Nov. 1915. [Illustration: =D. A. Addams-Williams.=] =DE COURCY-WILLIAMS, ALMERICUS JOHN FALKINER (ERIC)=, 2nd Lieut. 5th, attd. 4th, Battn. Middlesex Regt., only _s._ of John Almericus de Courcy-Williams, of St. Etchens, Killucan, co. Westmeath, M.A., M.B., B.Ch. T.C.D., by his wife Frideswide Catherine Emily, dau. of Robert Smyth, Portlick Castle, Athlone, J.P., and grandson of Surgeon-Major John William Williams, of Killucan, co. Westmeath, M.A., M.D., by his wife, Emily Letitia, née de Courcy, sister of Michael William, 32nd Lord Kingsale; _b._ Greenhills, Killucan, 4 May, 1895; educ. Roysses School, Abingdon, and Royal Military College, Sandhurst; gazetted 2nd Lieut. to the 2nd Battn. West India Regt., July, 1914; transferred to the Middlesex Regt., 20 Aug. 1914; went to France with the 4th Battn., 6 Sept.; took part in the fighting at Septmouts near Soissons, 14 Sept.; joined the 1st Battn. at Venizel, but returned to the 4th Battn. at Courcelles, 1 Oct.; took part in the march from the Aisne to Vieille-Chapelle, and the battle there, 12-15 Oct. where he was the only officer in his coy. not wounded, and died at Bethune, 21 Oct. 1914, of wounds received in action two miles from Aubers while commanding his coy. in the front line of trenches, the previous day, during the First Battle of Ypres. Buried in Bethune Cemetery. His Colonel wrote: "He was such a promising boy, and we were all proud of him and shall miss him much." Another officer wrote: "I can tell you all ranks were very sorry, as he was a brave soldier and was a great favourite with all, and likely to have a bright army career." A wounded soldier who was in the trenches with Lieut. de Courcy-Williams said that he frequently exposed himself to danger while exhorting his men not to waste ammunition, but to shoot straight. He was fatally wounded while aiming a rifle in the trenches trying to get a sniper who was picking off his men, and his last words were, "Men, give it them." [Illustration: =A. de Courcy-Williams.=] =WILLIAMSON, ALBERT JOHN=, Stoker, 1st Class, Ch. 154287, R.F.R., B. 1366, H.M.S. Hawke; lost when that ship was torpedoed in the North Sea, 15 Oct. 1914; _m._ =WILLIAMSON, DAVID MILLAR=, Petty Officer, 216842, H.M.S. Hogue; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914. =WILLIAMSON, FREDERICK=, Stoker, 1st Class, 302086, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914. =WILLIAMSON, PETER=, Private, No. 881, 12th Battn. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, Australian Imperial Force, _s._ of Matthew Williamson, of Ollaberry, Shetland; Seaman; _b._ Edinburgh, 29 March, 1891; educ. Ollaberry, and Lerwick, Shetland; went to Australia; volunteered on the outbreak of war and joined Commonwealth Expeditionary Force, Aug. 1914; left for Egypt with the main force in Oct.; went to the Dardanelles, and died on board H.M.S. Delta, 9 Aug. 1915, of wounds received in action there. Buried at sea. He _m._ at Edinburgh, Jessie, dau. of (--) Sutherland, of Latheron, Crofter, and had three children: Peter, _b._ ----; Lizzie, _b._ 5 Jan. 1893, and Maggie, _b._ 30 Nov. 1894. =WILLIAMSON, ROBERT=, Private, No. 14054, 1st Battn. Royal Scots (Lothian Regt.) served with the Expeditionary Force in France, etc.; |